Fife is poised to benefit from a £9.9 million injection into clean growth at the University of St Andrews' Eden Campus, after the Tay Cities Region Joint Committee backed the Clean Growth Co-Location Programme.

The initiative has been identified for support through the Tay Cities Region Deal, jointly funded by the Scottish and UK Governments, in recognition of its potential to accelerate low-carbon technologies and strengthen the region's innovation ecosystem.

At Eden Campus, the programme would create flexible, infrastructure-ready space for developing and testing emerging technologies such as Power to X, carbon capture and sustainable aquaculture. These sectors demand specialist facilities and significant upfront investment that are unlikely to be provided by the market alone.

Subject to Government approval, the project would deliver enabling infrastructure including shared energy systems, aquaculture-ready land, smart-grid capability and site resilience works. This is expected to unlock around 4,200 square metres of development-ready space and support up to eight small and medium-sized enterprises to scale up and bring new technologies closer to market.

The investment builds on earlier development at the site, including Phase 1 of the Power to X facility, and is expected to be fully operational by late 2028.

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Fife Council Leader David Ross welcomed the proposed Tay Cities investment. He said: "This will help turn cutting-edge ideas into real-world solutions. By creating the space and infrastructure businesses need to innovate and grow, we're supporting high-value jobs and strengthening Fife's position as a centre for clean growth."

The University's Vice-Principal (Strategy) and Chief Operating Officer, Ester Ruskuc, welcomed the news. She said: "The University's Eden Campus is a living testbed driving green innovation, providing a base for industry and academia to come together to find solutions society needs now and in the future. This proposal builds on substantial prior investment by the University of St Andrews, Scottish Enterprise, EPSRC, the Wolfson Foundation and industry partners. This funding is key to safeguarding this investment and enabling the development of further activities that may not otherwise be possible.

"The development of Eden Campus has brought a significant boost to the local economy; hundreds of University staff have re-located to Guardbridge following the regeneration of the paper mill site, and we have seen the opening of several new businesses in the village as well as hundreds of new family homes being built nearby."

Eden Campus Director, Karen Primrose, who submitted the proposal, said: "The development of Eden Campus to date has brought together a powerful combination of research, infrastructure and industry activity. Further investment will support the next stage of activity on the Campus, enabling ideas and technologies to be developed, tested and applied in real-world settings. In doing so, it will help meet regional and national priorities, supporting the translation of research into practical solutions that drive sustainable economic growth."

In addition, the Tay Cities Industrial Innovation Investment (i3) Programme has been identified as a reserve project, ready to progress if further Deal funding becomes available. The i3 Programme is intended to expand the supply of modern, flexible business premises and serviced employment land across the Tay Cities Region, including North East Fife, to help firms start, grow and innovate, support higher-value jobs, unlock private investment and improve productivity.

Together, the proposals underline the Tay Cities Region's continuing ambition to drive sustainable economic growth, innovation and investment across Fife and beyond.